The DON Foundation (Diabetes Research Netherlands) and the Diabetes Fund are jointly giving 1 million euros to researchers involved in using fecal bacteria in diabetes patients. These researchers, who are affiliated with the UMC in Amsterdam, have already conducted an exploratory study.
Transplantation of poop bacteria
Diabetes researchers Dr. Max Nieuwdorp and Dr. Nordin Hanssen will conduct three different studies over the next five years focusing on fecal transplantation, or the transplantation of feces, in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes patients at various outpatient clinics are asked to provide samples of their stool. Research will provide more insight into the extent to which this can be linked to diabetes and the immune system of the diabetes patient. A poop transplant will also actually be tested in diabetes patients. First, the patient's intestines are thoroughly rinsed and then healthy intestinal bacteria from a donor or from the patient himself are administered through a tube in the nose. The patient does not taste or smell anything. This technique is already used for other conditions, such as Crohn's disease and certain intestinal infections.
Improve pancreatic function
The researchers think that type 1 diabetes originates in the intestines and that the immune system in particular is affected here. Healthy intestinal bacteria may ensure that the immune system is less aggressive against the body. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin. This leaves an excess of glucose (sugar) in the blood. This glucose is the fuel for the body and it is essential that it is properly absorbed from the blood by the body cells. The assumption is that by using good intestinal bacteria, pancreatic function improves and is more stable, so that diabetes patients suffer less from an unbalanced blood sugar level. This can prevent diabetics from suffering a hypo, which involves a sharp drop in blood glucose levels. For the time being, the research is still in the exploratory phase and it will take years before it is really clear whether a fecal bacteria can actually be used as a treatment for type 1 diabetes.
What is type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects approximately 120.000 Dutch people. Compared to type 2 diabetes, which is mainly caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, type 1 is caused by an error in the immune system. This form of diabetes is often discovered in childhood, because the symptoms develop within a short time and are also clear in nature. Type 1 diabetes patients must be disciplined in their management of their disease, because small changes in daily life already affect their health. Every day they check their own blood sugar levels using a lancing device and glucose meter. They also inject a certain amount of insulin so that the body can absorb the sugars from the blood. This amount is determined on the basis of strict self-management, in which the intake of carbohydrates is mainly monitored. Diabetics are checked by a doctor or diabetes nurse every three months.